My Favorite Make Ahead Recipes for Christmas

Take the stress out of holiday meal planning by making some of my favorite make ahead recipes for Christmas entertaining and family gatherings.

I love love love make ahead recipes, especially during the holidays! When my freezer and fridge are full of casseroles, cakes, quiches, pies and marinaded meat, I am in hospitality heaven:-) Even drop-in company is welcome if I know I have food to pull out as needed.

Below is a list of what I make most every year just before the holidays. In fact most everything on the list below is already made, frozen, and ready to roll starting next week.

MY LATEST VIDEOS

Since all of these make-ahead dishes are for entertaining, I am bypassing the easy and disposable aluminum pans for freezer to oven to table baking dishes. I just had to add a few more to my arsenal; below are some I found and loved.

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Casseroles

Best Baked Ziti for a Crowdis a winner on all fronts. This dish won first place in a “Chopped Competition” that Zane and I entered with some friends this summer. The recipe makes two large casseroles that freeze beautifully. Add bread, salad and dessert, and you’ve got a meal fit for company.

Favorite Chicken Tetrazzini is an equally crowd pleasing Southern favorite that literally everyone loves. My kids beg for me to make this. This recipe makes 2 casseroles as well, and it goes perfectly from the freezer to the oven. This tetrazzini does have canned soup but trust me; it is fabulous.

You can make Gourmet Chicken Tetrazzinia day or two ahead and refrigerate until cooking. It has homemade béchamel so freezing is not advised.

Meats

Beef Brisket You Won’t Believemakes a company size portion of tender, succulent beef that can be shredded/pulled or chopped and served with white or red BBQ sauce. It is great served as a meat entree or put with buns for sandwiches. I have a marinaded brisket frozen in marinade that I will thaw 2 days before cooking (all day) for a holiday dinner.

Company’s Coming Roast Beef Tenderloinis a regal entree for any holiday table. It can be marinaded a day or two before a party and cooked a few hours prior to guests arrival. This absolutely must be served with these Gourmet Gruyere Cheese Grits, which can be made and refrigerated several days ahead as well.

I bought tart shells yesterday to make Spinach, Gruyere & Bacon Quiche Tartlets. The smaller size makes it easy to pull out what is needed for one or more person (rather than baking an entire quiche). These are good for grab and go after the holidays but when folks are still home.

This Cheesy Tater Tot Casseroleis perfect for the non-quiche peeps in your family. This can be made ahead and frozen (up to a month) or refrigerated (up to two days). To bake from frozen, thaw a day or two ahead in the fridge; bake as directed.

My sweet friend Mary Catherine gifts our family with homemade sweet rolls every year just before Christmas. This is such a thoughtful and practical gift, as we always bake these on Christmas morning to go with the savory dishes.

I so hope one or more of these recipes works for you this holiday season. If you have any questions about any of the recipes, just put in the comments of the post and I’ll get back quickly. As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you a joyful, blessed and savvy holiday 2018!

Reader Interactions

Subscribe to our mailing list

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

If A New Comment Is Posted:

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Jamie! This blog is my how-to guide for modern women who want to create a welcoming home, cook fabulous meals, and stay fit and chic at any age. Grab a cup of coffee and join me on the journey to stay savvy!.